


These Hearts Are Dizzy

by knouis



Category: One Direction (Band), Radio 1 RPF
Genre: A litte bit of Gryles, Actual Kitten Harry Styles, Cuddles, Fluff, M/M, Zombies, bad language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-10
Updated: 2013-02-10
Packaged: 2017-11-28 19:55:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/678294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knouis/pseuds/knouis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the end of the world and Louis is going to find Niall even if he dies trying.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Or...One Direction experiences the zombie apocalypse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	These Hearts Are Dizzy

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I don't know what this is. It's Nouis because they just kill my heart. Um, sorry for my language, my parents never washed my mouth out with soap when I was a kid so, yeah. Title is from "Several Ways To Die Trying" by Dashboard Confessional.  
> Happy reading, my loves.

At the beginning of this whole ‘dead coming back to life’ pandemonium, all Louis had was Harry. The newscasters said to stay inside, whatever you do, do not leave your homes. So, they didn’t because the last thing Louis was going to do is put Harry out in something that could end their lives. They boarded the door and the only window they had. They attempted to contact the others, their families, anyone but phone lines were the first to go.

They made it two weeks before they had to leave, had to move because Louis didn’t have Niall, and Harry was losing too much weight, and they needed to see what the outside world had turned into.

It hadn’t been pretty; Louis almost wishes they had stayed home.

It’s been months now and Louis still only has Harry. They adopted a jeep and took to driving and fighting with only one thing on their minds; find the boys. It had been find the boys and their families but the latter soon fell away in an event that neither wanted to think about.

“Fuck!”

Louis lurched and caught himself before he jerked the old jeep into a ravine. Once he had control of the wheel again Louis shot a glare into the rear view mirror where he could see Harry’s curls over the back seat. Harry looked up and met his eyes with a sheepish smile.

“Sorry,” Harry apologized.

Louis rolled his eyes. “What’s with the screaming?”

Louis watched Harry rub at the back of his neck and look down like he’d done something wrong. For a second Louis was shot in the chest with longing for times when Harry would pull the same actions over stealing Liam’s socks or accidently hitting Zayn with his long limbs.

“I may have just eaten the last bit of food,” Harry explained. “We’re going to have to stop soon.”

Louis held back a groan because he didn’t want Harry to feel too bad and rubbed a hand down his face, scrubbing across the stubble he’d give a limb to shave off. The last thing he wanted to do was stop because while they were good at it, Louis didn’t think he could stomach taking a bat to some grave walkers head today. But food was a necessity, especially with the way he could see Harry’s collarbone more and more everyday.

“Okay, okay,” Louis sighed. “Keep a look out for shops, we’ll survive on water until we find somewhere to stock up.”

Harry didn’t look up and Louis frowned. “C’mon back up here and keep me company, Curly.”

Harry scrambled back over the seat and muscled himself into the passenger seat with the grace of a newborn elephant.

“Seatbelt,” Louis reminded him.

“I think you’re the only one who would worry about seatbelts in the middle of the stinking zombie apocalypse,” Harry snorted but did as Louis said.

Louis smiled and ruffled Harry’s hair.

“Bet you Liam is,” Louis said without much thought.

Harry chuckled, “Very true.”

Louis let out a silent sigh of relief because the subject of Liam and Zayn could be approached; they just had to be careful. The only one they didn’t discuss was Niall; Louis couldn’t think the name without it feeling like a ton bag full of cement blocks was settling down on his chest.

Louis spotted a run down market in an equally run down village a few hours later. Louis parked and they waited, waited to see if they attracted any attention, good or bad.

Louis traded a look with Harry and said, “I think we’re safe. Let’s just make this quick.”

Harry nodded and Louis followed him out of the jeep to the trunk. Picking up his bat, Louis handed Harry his shotgun. It was something Louis never could settle into, little Harry Styles shouldering a shotgun but times changed.

“Got my back?” Harry asked readying his gun.

Louis propped his bat on his shoulder and hip bumped Harry toward the broken glass doors. “Always.”

Louis grabbed up a bag, slung it on his back and locked up the jeep-even though that stops no one-and followed at Harry’s heels. As soon as they were inside the market Louis was watching Harry’s back as they checked every inch of the shop. When they found no one Louis nodded at Harry and they quickly took what was salvageable from the broken shelves. Louis didn’t speak a word and neither did Harry. Talking was better taken care of where no one could hear you.

The bag was full and Louis had just been about to motion for Harry to head out when there was crash from behind a metal door in the back. Louis tensed and picked up the bat. Louis motioned for Harry to follow and crept toward the door preparing himself for people with a heartbeat and people with no heartbeat.

Louis put a hand on the handle and looked at Harry waiting for him to ready himself. Harry nodded and Louis silently counted down before yanking the door open.

What met Louis’ eyes took his breath away.

Because that couldn’t be Zayn on the ground with Liam standing over him looking like he’d take on Hell if anyone took one step toward them. But it had to be because that is what Liam would do.

“Louis? Harry?” Liam choked and Louis felt so relieved he could _cry_ from the force of it.

“Holy fuck,” Harry sobbed and then he was like a blur as he shot across the room tackling Liam to the ground.

Louis followed his lead by dropping the bat and snagging Zayn around the neck and curling an around Liam and Harry. Louis buried his face in Zayn’s neck and held them all as close as humanly possible. Zayn was shuddering against his chest and Louis heard him crying, heard Harry cry, felt his self heave a sob into Zayn’s neck.

“We looked for you guys everywhere,” Liam said. “We checked your apartment, checked hotels, and checked what felt like the whole of London.”

“We’re here, fuck, I thought we’d never find you,” Harry laughed and it’s weird to hear a laugh from someone who’s balling their eyes out.

Louis took his face from Zayn’s neck to simply look at him. Zayn has always been a skinny guy, like Harry, but like every one else his cheeks were sunken in and the skin that Louis remembered wasn’t that tan, dark color but pale and sickly. Zayn’s lips quirked up though and through his glassy eyes Louis could see the mischievous glint that would always get the two of them in so much trouble was still there.

“Hi Lou,” Zayn said his voice raspy.

“Hey Zayn,” Louis hiccupped.

“Wait, wait, Louis…” Liam gasped looking up from where his face had been in Harry’s chest. “Is-is Niall with you?”

And that felt like a physical blow to the head.

“He’s not with you?” Louis said.

He refused to acknowledge it sounded more like a whimper.

Zayn looked at him and the glint was gone and Louis didn’t think he’d be able to breathe much longer.

“We thought we’d find him with you,” Zayn answered.

That ache, the one that came with being separated from Niall, came to life like a flare deep in his sternum. He thinks Harry is saying his name but all Louis can think is _Niall’s not here_.

There’s groaning from the store, the inhuman kind and Louis’ bones are shaking from gaining Liam and Zayn and metaphorically losing Niall all over again. There’s no guarantee that Niall is out there still alive and the thought that the chance of touching Niall ever again just diminished even more sent so much shock and anger into his body that he was afraid he’d hit the next thing that moved.

“Just-just,” Louis stuttered. “Give me a minute.”

Louis gripped the bat, ignored Liam sternly ordering him to stay here, and set out into the shop because there was no better way to release pent up emotions than beating a couple zombies’ heads in.

&&&

Harry and Louis stacked the back of the jeep with supplies while Liam and Zayn rounded up the little bit of belongings they had. After his minor breakdown-it was minor compared to some of the others he’s had concerning Niall- Louis allowed Liam to wipe the gore from his arms and face while Harry petted his hair before he suggested they pack up and hit the road. Of course Liam and Zayn did so right away, which Louis was eternally glad for because he wasn’t leaving this dinky shop without them and he _needed_ to keep searching for Niall.

They drove up North until the sun bled into the horizon turning the sky an eerie shade of auburn. It wasn’t until they found a suitable area of woods to hide away in that they stopped for the night. Louis took first watch after they set up a fire and spread out sleeping bags. Even though they commandeered a slightly large clearing Harry ended up buried between Louis and Liam while Zayn shamelessly slept with half his body on Liam’s and buried his hand in Harry’s curls. He didn’t blame Zayn; those curls were like a security blanket.

 Louis spread a blanket over his legs and kept his bat and Harry’s gun at his feet; ready to take down absolutely anything that came around. It was quiet as night spread, the popping of the fire and Harry’s small snores being the only sounds that kept his ears from ringing. He kept his eyes on the fire, occasionally lifting his gaze to observe around them.

Louis only noticed Liam shaking awake when he let out a soft gasp. Louis whipped his eyes to his best friend to see him grappling at Zayn’s hoodie, pushing the collar down and pressing a hand to Zayn’s neck. He heard Liam let out a rasping sigh of relief as Zayn wiggled in his sleep and moved his head further up on Liam’s torso. And in the firelight Louis could make out Liam’s tender smile and Louis breathed a silent _oh,_ that’s new.

“Liam,” Louis called quietly.

Liam jumped a little before pushing himself up and against the side of the jeep like Louis. Liam softly transferred Zayn’s head to his lap, his hand never straying from Zayn’s neck. Yeah, that was definitely new.

“How did that happen?” Louis asked feeling a bubble of loss over not only _his_ missing boy but also having missed two of his best friends falling in love.

 Liam’s eyes glowed with memories but Louis could see sadness floating around in there. Liam pushed a hand through his floppy hair; his buzz cut having grown out since the zombie apocalypse began.

“It happened because I almost lost him and I realized I couldn’t ever, ever lose him,” Liam said like it explained everything.

Maybe it kind of did because sometimes you don’t know the depths of how much your heart can rely on someone until there’s a possibility of losing him.

Louis felt something block his throat and didn’t resist the sudden urge to grab at the hand that was still buried in Harry’s hair because the thought of losing any of them made his chest burn.

“What happened?” Louis found himself asking.

“We had picked up a hitchhiker,” Liam said. “He hadn’t been that bad either, he did the killing that Zayn and I were too hesitant to do. We had come across a half-collapsed hotel and Zayn suggested we stop and search thinking maybe we’d find you guys.”

Liam breathed out a shaky breath and Louis let go of Zayn’s hand to grab at Liam’s quivering one. Liam scrabbled ahold of Louis’ palm and Louis saw his other hand tighten marginally at Zayn’s neck.

“It was all going fine. The hitchhiker, Peter was his name, and I was searching a room while Zayn was just across the hall and suddenly Zayn let out this yelp. You know those noises Zayn use to make whenever he’d roll his ankle or a tattoo he was getting hurt more than he thought it would? Yeah, well it was like those but ten times worse and then I heard a gunshot and the undeniable screech of a zombie. My heart fucking stopped Lou, if Zayn hadn’t called for me I wouldn’t have been able to move.

When I got there Zayn was on the ground clutching at his leg with one hand and holding his gun in the other. The zombie was at his feet and for one second I thought it had gotten him but Zayn looked at me and quickly shook his head saying he’d fallen on some glass and it had cut his leg because the zombie had surprised him.”

Liam stopped again and Louis nudged him to continue because he knew that this wasn’t the whole story. They’ve all injured themselves in ways that resulted in worse than a cut leg.

“I remember going to him and checking the gash. It had been pretty bad but nothing life-threatening. Then Peter, he-he came in thinking Zayn got bit because obviously he couldn’t tell something like that from Zayn’s facial expressions like I could. God, he just wouldn’t listen to me, wouldn’t stop pointing the gun at Zayn, and wouldn’t stop threatening to kill him. He kept telling me to move, that he had to stop the virus from getting another person.

I stepped in front of Zayn because I wasn’t going to fucking let anyone shoot him, even if he had the virus I wouldn’t let anyone do it. I tried talking him out of it, saying he wasn’t serious, he wouldn’t shoot Zayn and he fired off a shot over my shoulder saying he was serious,” Liam explained.

Louis watched Liam look at him, watched as tears fell down his cheeks. Louis held his hand tighter. Liam’s eyes were drowning in tears and so much guilt that Louis felt his chest constrict.

“Lou, I couldn’t let him do it. He would have shot Zayn, would have attracted attention with any more shots. I couldn’t lose Zayn, Louis, I _couldn’t._ L-Louis I had to shoot him, it was Peter or Zayn. I h-had to shoot someone that wasn’t already dead-“

Louis stopped him and leaned over Harry and maneuvered as much of Liam’s body into his arms as he could with out moving Zayn too much. Liam sobbed into his neck, clutching a hand in Louis’ thin sweater. Louis felt Harry shift under him and heard Zayn awake at the sound of Liam.

“Li?” Zayn mumbled and Liam’s sobs immediately shuddered to a soft stop.

Louis heard Liam take a few deep breaths before he pulled away from Louis’ neck. Zayn was now sitting up and pushing his body in next to Liam’s torso, letting his face drop onto Liam’s shoulder. Louis took Liam’s other shoulder. Louis listened as Harry grumbled and whined until Louis shifted and allowed Harry to snake his way into the cuddle, wrapping his arms around Liam’s waist and resting his head on Liam’s stomach.

“I’m fine, Zayn, I was just telling Lou about Peter,” Liam spoke up softly.

Louis could just make out Zayn’s shudder and Liam kissing the top of Zayn’s head. It took a minute for Louis to wrap his head around Liam and Zayn actually dating before he realized that Harry wasn’t making some confused statement on just why they were acting like a couple. He got his answer when Harry opened his mouth.

“It’s okay, Liam,” Harry whispered sounding sleepy and _so very young_. “We have to make sacrifices. When-when we found my mom she’d already been turned, she was going to get Lou. I had to shoot my mom, Liam, but-but it’s okay because I’ve still got Louis and I’ve got you guys and if I hadn’t done it, I might have lost him. And I think about that and the memory doesn’t hurt as bad.”

Louis’ mouth went dry and he shuddered at the memory of Anne and Harry shattering before Louis’ eyes. Liam and Zayn were quiet and Louis leaned down to encompass Harry, feeling his small cries through his back.

“Oh, _Haz,”_ Liam breathed and Louis felt him and Zayn move until they were all surrounding Harry.

“So-so, don’t feel guilty about shooting that man,” Harry said. “Because if you didn’t Zayn wouldn’t be here.”

Louis clutched at the three boys and pulled them as close as possible. He pushed his face into someone’s neck and shivered, suddenly feeling Niall’s absence like a wound that just wouldn’t heal.  

He let them calm a little; let Harry stop crying before whispering something he hasn’t been able to since the whole world went to hell.

“Guys, I miss Niall.”

And, well, no one really stopped crying after that.

They were on the road again, Liam was driving while Zayn took the passenger seat and held Liam’s hand the whole time. Louis sprawled out in the back allowing Harry to rest in his lap. They didn’t know where they were going but Louis hoped against all hope that it was in the right direction.

Louis was just beginning to snooze as the car raced past miles of trees when he heard Liam let out a soft curse. Louis was immediately alert in his seat.

“What?” Louis asked.

“Gas light came on,” Liam muttered pulling the car off to the side of the road.

Louis groaned and thumped his head on the back of the seat. No gas meant having to walk and find some and there was never a guarantee that there was any to find.

“Okay, well let’s drive into the woods as far as we can,” Louis said. “It’s almost night anyway, we’ll rest and figure out what to do tomorrow.”

Liam nodded and inched as far as the jeep could fit before having to stop. They got out and Louis locked up the jeep before they ventured out looking for something to start a fire because no gas meant no car heater for the night. Liam led the front of the line, a gun in his grip while Zayn and Louis carried whatever wood they could find and Harry brought up the rear with his own gun.

Louis had a couple of pieces of wood when the zombies made themselves known. His hands itched for his bat but he’d left it figuring the guns would be enough. Louis handed a piece of the wood he collected to Zayn just in case some of the zombies got past Harry and Liam. Which he doubted would happen but it couldn’t hurt to be ready. Liam and Harry backed him and Zayn up to a tree before aiming for the three zombies that were stumbling toward them.

Louis observed the way both Harry and Liam tensed before firing. Louis had to look away because he always hated the look people got when they had to shoot, hated how blank Harry’s eyes went, and hated how Liam didn’t even flinch at the sounds. Zayn pressed up close to Louis and Louis found Zayn probably felt the same as he did. He watched as the zombies dropped like flies and said nothing when Liam and Harry turned back to them looking so tired. Zayn stepped toward Liam and Louis looked away from the couple. He opened an arm for Harry and let him rest against his side for a little while. Harry shuddered a bit and Louis ran a comforting hand through his curls.

A twig snapped suddenly and a voice called out, “Put down your guns, hands where we can see them.”

Louis furrowed his brow that voice sending a small sliver of familiarity through his veins, and Harry tensed in his arms. Louis looked up and blinked in surprise as Harry let out a gasp.

“Ge-Gemma?” Harry whispered at the tall brunette standing across from them with a gun in her grip.

Gemma Styles blinked, her eyes going wide and she let her arm drop. “Harry?”

Harry let out the same sob that left his lips when they found Liam and Zayn before throwing himself at his older sister. Louis felt this surge of relief as Gemma pulled Harry close to her and furiously whispered things in his ear and rubbed at Harry’s hair. Louis had been so worried that Harry had lost his sister as well yet here she was in ratty jeans and a jacket looking better than Louis would have expected.

Then another person wandered out and Louis felt his jaw drop and the need to just cackle hysterically enter his chest. Because of fucking course they’d find Nick Grimshaw in the woods in the middle of the bloody zombie apocalypse.

“Grimshaw?” Louis choked.

Nick blinked pushing his quiff (because he would still have that fucking thing) off his forehead before grinning.

“Holy fuck, Tomlinson? And is that the rest of you pop stars?” Nick gaped looking over Louis, Liam, and Zayn before his gaze rested on Harry and Gemma.

“Grimmy?” Louis heard Harry almost whimper.

He blinked in surprise as Nick’s face softened in a millisecond and thought, _fuck, well none of the fans were wrong about them all being gay._

“Hey, pop star,” Nick greeted his voice pitching in a way Louis’ never heard.

Gemma let Nick grab Harry into a hug before she finally seemed to notice him and the other two. She grinned and Louis found himself hugging the girl along with Liam and Zayn because back in the days of One Direction, each other’s families became everyone’s.

When Louis stepped back he found Gemma grinning in an entirely different way, managing to look freakishly like Harry when he was up to no good.

“Grimmy, you idiot, call our team member,” Gemma hissed over at the tall man still hugging Harry.

Nick grinned and pushed Harry back in Gemma’s direction, something Harry went with willing. Nick pulled out a walkie-talkie, hurriedly saying something Louis couldn’t understand.

“What are you guys doing here?” Liam asked.

“We’re living at a camp just a couple miles from here,” Nick explained. “Gem, our friend and I are the recon team.”

Louis almost rolled his eyes because Nick sounded so goddamn proud and it was so familiar that Louis’ stomach flipped. He may have never gone out of his way to be friends with the hipster but he was a reminder of Louis’ old life and Louis would take what he could get. It was quiet when the sound of crunching leaves hit Louis’ ears.

“What are you two fucking cunts doing? We were expected back at camp ages ago.”

Louis froze, his heart started beating so fast that it made him dizzy but that Irish fucking accent could do things to Louis that nothing else could. Louis felt his grip on the wood lessen and his breathing picked up because it’s been _months_. Air entered and escaped his chest in choking gasps; he couldn’t even turn to where he heard the voice because if he were dreaming, Louis wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Then,

“L-lads?” Niall’s voice whimpered like he was in just as much disbelief as Louis.

Louis turned around and there he was, his hair brown, eyes gleaming with tears and dressed in all black. Louis took in Niall’s cheeks that always turned red when Louis whispered in his ear and his pale neck that Louis loved nothing more than to mark up under the publics gaze. It was Niall, _his fucking Niall._

“Niall,” Louis whispered just because he could.

Niall met his eyes and Louis didn’t even have to think before he was running to him putting his hands on any part of Niall that he could. He pulled Niall in, tried to mold the boy to his chest, whispering his name repeatedly.

“Lou?” Niall asked like he didn’t know if it was truly Louis trying to morph him into his skin.

“Yeah, babe, yeah, I found you,” Louis cried.

Niall pulled him close and Louis’ knees wanted to give because how long had he thought that he’d never be able to do this again. Niall stifled a sob in Louis’ neck and Louis didn’t even flinch when Niall dug his fingers in his back with extraordinary force.

Louis pulled back a little, bringing his hands to Niall’s face, and tracing every inch as if it was all brand new. Louis brushed his fingertips through tear marks and a new scar at his hairline, taking in everything because Louis finally had him.

“I love you,” Louis choked. “I love you so much.”

Louis ran a thumb along Niall’s chapped lips before diving in without giving Niall the chance to reply. He molded their lips together, picking up the same dance they’d practiced months ago. He had to hold in an actual whimper when Niall’s hands found his sides and Louis dug his hands into the back of Niall’s neck, keeping him right here and refusing to ever let him move out of sight again.

Niall broke away and whispered with a goofy smile, “I love you back.”

Louis giggled and sobbed. “I’m never letting you out of my sight. You’re fucking stuck with me, Horan. You hear?”

“I guess I can deal with that,” Niall replied and Louis didn’t hesitate in putting his lips back on his boyfriend’s.

“Okay, enough. Stop hogging Niall, Louis, we missed him too!” Harry whined from somewhere on Louis’ left causing him to break the kiss.

Louis looked over to see Harry’s eyes still brimming with tears looking so utterly disgruntled that he wasn’t a part of this reunion while Liam and Zayn looked like they were seconds away from tackling Niall from Louis for their own reunion cuddles. Louis wrapped one arm around Niall and opened the other for the three boys to come forth.

They didn’t hesitate.

“Fucking Christ, _lads_ ,” Niall cried sounding so relieved.

Louis pressed a smile into the skin under Niall’s ear while Liam and Zayn babbled nonsense into any part of Niall the could reach and Harry forced his face into the hoodie around Niall’s chest looking every bit like a kitten who just got its favorite toy back. And Louis was so _fucking happy_ to have all of his boys again and to have Gemma here. And even having Nick Grimshaw was quite great.

So, the world may be suffering from a zombie invasion but Louis’s got Niall, his boys, a surrogate sister, and a dirty hipster as companions and that’s better than Louis could ever have hoped for. 

**Author's Note:**

> I made myself cry when I wrote this. Anyway, tanks for reading xx


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